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[Solved] Complex UDF simplification?


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Posted (edited)

Greetings AutoIt community,

Out of curiosity I did an internet search for the LibreOffice UDF that MLipok and I are working on, and came across a post in the German AutoIt forum that mentioned it, (https://autoit.de/thread/88484-formeln-in-eine-csv-datei-schreiben/?pageNo=1)

It seems the user was rather overwhelmed with the UDF, mostly the many files, etc., and didn't know how to go forward in solving their problem with it. 

So I am wondering if you any have input on how I would help this kind of issue? I had hoped the examples would help, but I understand they could be overwhelming with the sheer number of them, plus, as of yet, they aren't very detailed.

Some of the ideas I did have was to have a general example for each "element" of LibreOffice, i.e. Writer, Calc, Base etc. This would help show how to get started (hopefully). Another thought was a simple how-to file to include. Maybe make a "lite" version?

Perhaps there are too many functions? Maybe its should only automate the basics? LibreOffice isn't quite as simple to automate as MS products are, so it was my aim to help make possible as much as possible.

I would be interested to hear any thoughts/ideas for consideration.

Thanks, and best regards,

 

Edited by donnyh13

LibreOffice UDF  ; Scite4AutoIt Spell-Checker Using LibreOffice

Spoiler

"Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions."

 

  • Solution
Posted

Some 3 month ago examples were added for what I see. Following the examples should show what each function does.

I don't use spreadsheets but if I needed to, I'd have to learn that, ... in a hurry.
And automate it even faster ( all this while clueless "inexperienced" )

I don't think that there is a way around "the learning curve".
Maybe making wrapper functions ala "Word user defined functions" would help for the _LODoc_* functions 🤔

I believe that if something is overwhelming, it is so for the uninitiated, and not because is poorly thought-out.

Ok, let's look at me. I push for forking and wrote some wrappers/ideas yet, many find it overwhelming/too much/too difficult. What can I do 🤷‍♂️
Nothing. Each will gain understanding as they gain experience with the concept(s) and the solution(s).

 

38 minutes ago, donnyh13 said:

It seems the user was rather overwhelmed with the UDF, mostly the many files, etc., and didn't know how to go forward in solving their problem with it. 

Yeah. Nothing you can do other than examples for the functions and that you did.

Follow the link to my code contribution ( and other things too ).
FAQ - Please Read Before Posting.
autoit_scripter_blue_userbar.png

Posted

Thanks for the input @argumentum.

LibreOffice UDF  ; Scite4AutoIt Spell-Checker Using LibreOffice

Spoiler

"Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions."

 

Posted

Not sure if it helps, but Water has some good stuff out there for building in contextual help from within scite.

I've used it over in the midi project, and it works quite well.  It is a stupid amount of work though putting together the helpfile.

Posted

Thanks @MattyD, I'll take a look at that.

LibreOffice UDF  ; Scite4AutoIt Spell-Checker Using LibreOffice

Spoiler

"Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions."

 

Posted
18 hours ago, MattyD said:

It is a stupid amount of work though putting together the helpfile.

Not if you format the function headers in the correct way, then you just need to prepare a few text files and run a script. Please see Simple Library Docs Generator

My UDFs and Tutorials:

Spoiler

UDFs:
Active Directory (NEW 2024-07-28 - Version 1.6.3.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
ExcelChart (2017-07-21 - Version 0.4.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts
OutlookEX (2021-11-16 - Version 1.7.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
OutlookEX_GUI (2021-04-13 - Version 1.4.0.0) - Download
Outlook Tools (2019-07-22 - Version 0.6.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki
PowerPoint (2021-08-31 - Version 1.5.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
Task Scheduler (2022-07-28 - Version 1.6.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki

Standard UDFs:
Excel - Example Scripts - Wiki
Word - Wiki

Tutorials:
ADO - Wiki
WebDriver - Wiki

 

Posted (edited)
On 10/27/2025 at 4:01 PM, donnyh13 said:

Maybe make a "lite" version?

No.
In first place just user should ask how to do some task he wanted. Best in your support topic.

Then you/me or other user will be able to explain and show an example.

Eventually in the end it can lead us to some kind of helper/wrapper function aka "lite" version, but this still should be based on the default UDF you already created.

ps.
sorry for the many edits - I feel bad today

Edited by mLipok

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"Homo sum; humani nil a me alienum puto" - Publius Terentius Afer
"Program are meant to be read by humans and only incidentally for computers and execute" - Donald Knuth, "The Art of Computer Programming"
:naughty:  :ranting:, be  :) and       \\//_.

Anticipating Errors :  "Any program that accepts data from a user must include code to validate that data before sending it to the data store. You cannot rely on the data store, ...., or even your programming language to notify you of problems. You must check every byte entered by your users, making sure that data is the correct type for its field and that required fields are not empty."

Signature last update: 2023-04-24

Posted (edited)

Thanks for the input @mLipok, and sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. I hope you feel better soon.

Yes. You're right. They could have asked for help on the support topic here. I was thinking though, this may deter some from asking due to needing to create an account on another forum just to ask for help for one issue, which isn't unreasonable, but may deter some.

I think I've seen you mention that you are on the German forum from time to time, maybe one day you could post your own help and support post on there for users of that forum? Maybe something we could discuss another time if you like. As long as the UDF works in other languages? I'm not sure if anything internal changes or not.

Best regards,

Edited by donnyh13

LibreOffice UDF  ; Scite4AutoIt Spell-Checker Using LibreOffice

Spoiler

"Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions."

 

Posted
1 hour ago, donnyh13 said:

...this may deter some from asking due to needing to create an account on another forum just to ask for help for one issue...

Quizàs, Quizàs, Quizàs. You'll never hear me complain ( is your own voice in your head, reading :P ) in GitHub because I don't have an account. But if that was the way that I can get to the support people, I'll open one.

If I had to wait for support in Spanish I would grow old waiting. ( Yet, am still growing old. English was a waste of time :( ) :P 

Follow the link to my code contribution ( and other things too ).
FAQ - Please Read Before Posting.
autoit_scripter_blue_userbar.png

Posted
10 hours ago, donnyh13 said:

I think I've seen you mention that you are on the German forum from time to time,

me ? 

I don't have an account on German-language websites - I simply don't speak this language, although I'm ashamed to admit I also have German citizenship, but I don't know the language.

Signature beginning:
Please remember: "AutoIt"..... *  Wondering who uses AutoIt and what it can be used for ? * Forum Rules *
ADO.au3 UDF * POP3.au3 UDF * XML.au3 UDF * IE on Windows 11 * How to ask ChatGPT for AutoIt Codefor other useful stuff click the following button:

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Any of my own code posted anywhere on the forum is available for use by others without any restriction of any kind. 

My contribution (my own projects): * Debenu Quick PDF Library - UDF * Debenu PDF Viewer SDK - UDF * Acrobat Reader - ActiveX Viewer * UDF for PDFCreator v1.x.x * XZip - UDF * AppCompatFlags UDF * CrowdinAPI UDF * _WinMergeCompare2Files() * _JavaExceptionAdd() * _IsBeta() * Writing DPI Awareness App - workaround * _AutoIt_RequiredVersion() * Chilkatsoft.au3 UDF * TeamViewer.au3 UDF * JavaManagement UDF * VIES over SOAP * WinSCP UDF * GHAPI UDF - modest begining - comunication with GitHub REST APIErrorLog.au3 UDF - A logging Library * Include Dependency Tree (Tool for analyzing script relations) * Show_Macro_Values.au3 *

 

My contribution to others projects or UDF based on  others projects: * _sql.au3 UDF  * POP3.au3 UDF *  RTF Printer - UDF * XML.au3 UDF * ADO.au3 UDF SMTP Mailer UDF * Dual Monitor resolution detection * * 2GUI on Dual Monitor System * _SciLexer.au3 UDF * SciTE - Lexer for console pane

Useful links: * Forum Rules * Forum etiquette *  Forum Information and FAQs * How to post code on the forum * AutoIt Online Documentation * AutoIt Online Beta Documentation * SciTE4AutoIt3 getting started * Convert text blocks to AutoIt code * Games made in Autoit * Programming related sites * Polish AutoIt Tutorial * DllCall Code Generator * 

Wiki: Expand your knowledge - AutoIt Wiki * Collection of User Defined Functions * How to use HelpFile * Good coding practices in AutoIt * 

OpenOffice/LibreOffice/XLS Related: WriterDemo.au3 * XLS/MDB from scratch with ADOX

IE Related:  * How to use IE.au3  UDF with  AutoIt v3.3.14.x * Why isn't Autoit able to click a Javascript Dialog? * Clicking javascript button with no ID * IE document >> save as MHT file * IETab Switcher (by LarsJ ) * HTML Entities * _IEquerySelectorAll() (by uncommon) * IE in TaskSchedulerIE Embedded Control Versioning (use IE9+ and HTML5 in a GUI) * PDF Related:How to get reference to PDF object embeded in IE * IE on Windows 11

I encourage you to read: * Global Vars * Best Coding Practices * Please explain code used in Help file for several File functions * OOP-like approach in AutoIt * UDF-Spec Questions *  EXAMPLE: How To Catch ConsoleWrite() output to a file or to CMD *

I also encourage you to check awesome @trancexx code:  * Create COM objects from modules without any demand on user to register anything. * Another COM object registering stuffOnHungApp handlerAvoid "AutoIt Error" message box in unknown errors  * HTML editor

winhttp.au3 related : * https://www.autoitscript.com/forum/topic/206771-winhttpau3-download-problem-youre-speaking-plain-http-to-an-ssl-enabled-server-port/

"Homo sum; humani nil a me alienum puto" - Publius Terentius Afer
"Program are meant to be read by humans and only incidentally for computers and execute" - Donald Knuth, "The Art of Computer Programming"
:naughty:  :ranting:, be  :) and       \\//_.

Anticipating Errors :  "Any program that accepts data from a user must include code to validate that data before sending it to the data store. You cannot rely on the data store, ...., or even your programming language to notify you of problems. You must check every byte entered by your users, making sure that data is the correct type for its field and that required fields are not empty."

Signature last update: 2023-04-24

Posted
5 hours ago, mLipok said:

don't have an account

Hmm, okay, sorry, my bad. I thought it was you that I seen mention you were busy on the german forum. Must have been someone else. 

LibreOffice UDF  ; Scite4AutoIt Spell-Checker Using LibreOffice

Spoiler

"Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions."

 

  • donnyh13 changed the title to [Solved] Complex UDF simplification?
Posted

It’s Argumentum who is active here and on the german forum. 

My UDFs and Tutorials:

Spoiler

UDFs:
Active Directory (NEW 2024-07-28 - Version 1.6.3.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
ExcelChart (2017-07-21 - Version 0.4.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts
OutlookEX (2021-11-16 - Version 1.7.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
OutlookEX_GUI (2021-04-13 - Version 1.4.0.0) - Download
Outlook Tools (2019-07-22 - Version 0.6.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki
PowerPoint (2021-08-31 - Version 1.5.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
Task Scheduler (2022-07-28 - Version 1.6.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki

Standard UDFs:
Excel - Example Scripts - Wiki
Word - Wiki

Tutorials:
ADO - Wiki
WebDriver - Wiki

 

Posted
21 minutes ago, water said:

It’s Argumentum who is active here and on the german forum.

Ah, okay. Makes sense. Thanks for the clarification!

LibreOffice UDF  ; Scite4AutoIt Spell-Checker Using LibreOffice

Spoiler

"Life is chiefly made up, not of great sacrifices and wonderful achievements, but of little things. It is oftenest through the little things which seem so unworthy of notice that great good or evil is brought into our lives. It is through our failure to endure the tests that come to us in little things, that the habits are molded, the character misshaped; and when the greater tests come, they find us unready. Only by acting upon principle in the tests of daily life can we acquire power to stand firm and faithful in the most dangerous and most difficult positions."

 

Posted
1 hour ago, argumentum said:

...and !, the .ru too :)

So you are a real language Universalist

My UDFs and Tutorials:

Spoiler

UDFs:
Active Directory (NEW 2024-07-28 - Version 1.6.3.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
ExcelChart (2017-07-21 - Version 0.4.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts
OutlookEX (2021-11-16 - Version 1.7.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
OutlookEX_GUI (2021-04-13 - Version 1.4.0.0) - Download
Outlook Tools (2019-07-22 - Version 0.6.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki
PowerPoint (2021-08-31 - Version 1.5.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
Task Scheduler (2022-07-28 - Version 1.6.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki

Standard UDFs:
Excel - Example Scripts - Wiki
Word - Wiki

Tutorials:
ADO - Wiki
WebDriver - Wiki

 

Posted
4 minutes ago, argumentum said:

Needed support, and the user was from .ru, so I registered.
Needed support, and the user was from .de, so I registered.

The logic doesn't work so well when the user is from the army...

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